A new UN Women report has revealed that at least one million women and girls lost access to essential humanitarian assistance over the past year due to significant cuts in international aid funding. The report warns that shrinking humanitarian budgets are severely affecting women-led organizations, limiting their ability to provide critical services such as protection from gender-based violence, reproductive healthcare, education, and safe shelters.
The survey, covering 855 women-led organizations across crisis-affected countries including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Haiti, found that nearly 90% of organizations are struggling to meet growing humanitarian needs. Around 40% risk shutting down within a year because of inadequate funding, while 60% are already serving fewer women and girls than before. More than 75% have reduced staff, and 65% reported employees continuing to work without pay to maintain essential services.
UN Women also highlighted that nearly 120 million women and girls worldwide currently require humanitarian assistance and protection. The report calls for urgent restoration of funding to women-led organizations, warning that continued financial cuts could further weaken global efforts to protect vulnerable women and girls, particularly in conflict and disaster-affected regions.
